Ireland-Palestine Solidarty Campaign vs. CRH

Case overview

The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaigns complaint alleges that CRH, through its jointly owned subsidiary Nesher Cement Enterprises, has violated provisions related to sustainable development and respect for human rights. CRH is the largest company in Ireland and politically very influential.

Through its subsidiary, CRH supplies cement for the Separation Wall, which restricts the movement of the Palestinian people, destroys property, trees and agricultural land and cuts off access to water in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The Wall also cuts communities and families off from each other, separates people from vital services such as health care and educational facilities, and hinders Palestinian access to employment.

CRH also provides cement for building illegal settlements in the West Bank.

Developments/Outcome

As part of its initial assessment, the Irish NCP contacted the company for a response.

CRH did not respond to the content of the complaint, but it did raise questions regarding legal and procedural matters of the specific instance procedure. The Irish and Israeli NCPs also initially collaborated on the case.

In February 2013, IPSC sent a letter to the Irish Minister of Jobs, Enterprise, and Innovation in an attempt to move the case forward. The letter urged the Minister to engage directly with the NCP to take the case forward.

After the letter was sent, the Irish NCP met with IPSC and declared its determination to “unblock” the case. The NCP contacted the company, but CRH again responded with procedural queries.

IPSC followed up in January 2014 expressing extreme dismay with the NCPs lack of communication and action on the case. IPSC has requested that the NCP make a determination as to whether CRH have violated the Guidelines and issue a final statement with recommendations to the company to end the activities that are in breach.

The Irish Attorney General was asked in the spring of 2014 to assess whether the NCP would be the appropriate institution to investigate the complaint. In April 2015 the complainants spoke to the new NCP which will start to address the complaint starting from the beginning.

As CRH divested from Mashav, which produced cement used for constructing the separation wall, in December 2015. The Irish NCP closed the case in February 2016 without a final statement on the case.